Action = Vie: Action = Vie: A History of AIDS Activism and Gay Politics in France

Act Up-Paris became one of the most notable protest groups in France in the mid-1990s. Founded in 1989, and following the New York model, it became a confrontational voice representing the interests of those affected by HIV through openly political activism. Action = Vie , the English-language translation of Christophe Broqua's study of the grassroots activist branch, explains the reasons for the group's success and sheds light on Act Up's defining features-such as its unique articulation between AIDS and gay activism.Featuring numerous accounts by witnesses and participants, Broqua traces the history of Act Up-Paris and shows how thousands of gay men and women confronted the AIDS epidemic by mobilizing with public actions. Act Up-Paris helped shape the social definition not only of HIV-positive persons but also of sexual minorities. Broqua analyzes the changes brought about by the group, from the emergence of new treatments for HIV infection to normalizing homosexuality and a controversy involving HIV-positive writers' remarks about unprotected sex. This rousing history ends in the mid-2000s before marriage equality and antiretroviral treatments caused Act Up-Paris to decline. Act Up-Paris became one of the most notable protest groups in France in the mid-1990s. Founded in 1989, and following the New York model, it became a confrontational voice representing the interests of those affected by HIV through openly political activism. Action=Vie, the English-language translation of Christophe Broquas study of the grassroots activist branch, explains the reasons for the groups success and sheds light on Act Up's defining featuressuch as its unique articulation between AIDS and gay activism. Featuring numerous accounts by witnesses and participants, Broqua traces the history of Act Up-Paris and shows how thousands of gay men and women confronted the AIDS epidemic by mobilizing with public actions. Act Up-Paris helped shape the social definition not only of HIV-positive persons but also of sexual minorities. Broqua analyzes the changes brought about by the group, from the emergence of new treatments for HIV infection to normalizing homosexuality and a controversy involving HIV-positive writers remarks about unprotected sex. This rousing history ends in the mid-2000s before marriage equality and antiretroviral treatments caused Act Up-Paris to decline. Dedications Epigraph Contents Foreword to the English-Language Edition • David M. Halperin Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1 From the Gay Movement to the Fight against AIDS 2 The Birth and Rise of Act Up 3 A Theory of AIDS 4 Gay Politics 5 Reconciling the Experiences of Homosexuality and AIDS through Activism 6 The Rationale for Public Action 7 Activism, Grief, and Memory Politics 8 The Emergence of Hope and Redefinition of Activism 9 Act Up and the Bareback Controversy 10 Changing Representations of Homosexuality Conclusion Notes References Index About the Author "Act Up-Paris was the most successful Act Up franchise outside the US. This book examines the conditions and consequences of this success, and sheds light on Act Up's status as the only French group to fight against AIDS while asserting its roots in the gay community"-- Provided by publisher